The top layer of cheese melted just fine but the rest of it didn't cook so well in my opinion. It just wasn't like the other baked mac n cheese I've tasted, it tasted ok but the cheese n macaroni didn't really hold together as it usually does. I let it bake for about 45 min. Anyone have any suggestions/recipes??

Doesn't work unless you're eating it right away, but my favorite mac & cheese is to cook the pasta (rotini, shells, bowties or elbows all work well - shells maybe the best), drain.

Now off heat, add a chunk of real butter (margarine works OK but flavor's not nearly as good), quickly toss to coat all the pasta, add a generous amount of cheese - I like sharp cheddar, but colby, co-jack, other cheddars, Mexican blend all work OK - and a blop of sour cream (low fat or even fat-free works OK), toss everything with a fork until cheese is all melted and sour cream is blended in. Salt (preferrably sea salt) and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

The sour cream blends with the butter and cheese to make a clinging sauce, but it separates somewhat if you try to reheat. So, only cook as much as you'll use right then.

Sorry the amounts are so vague, but I just throw it together. If making a bunch, I use a pound box of pasta, at least 8 oz. of cheese (usually twice that ), 1-2 T. butter, and about 2 T. sour cream. I just eyeball it if just making enough for myself, though. I often cook some frozen broccoli in with the pasta and make that a complete quickie meal for myself.

Sairis' SmittenKitchen recipe sounds very much like what I fix if I need to take it somewhere or need to be able to later reheat it.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook macaroni in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pour into a 3-qt. casserole In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. Gradually stir in milk and sour cream. Add salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce bubbles and thickens. Reserve 1 c. grated cheese for the top of the casserole. Toss macaroni with remaining cheese. Pour sauce over macaroni and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and brown. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

I often make my no-bake one above with Cabot's 75% Fat Free cheddar, fat-free sour cream and Smart Balance Light instead of butter, it's just better as above, of course. I also usually use whole wheat or at least low-carb pasta for myself.

The top layer of cheese melted just fine but the rest of it didn't cook so well in my opinion. It just wasn't like the other baked mac n cheese I've tasted, it tasted ok but the cheese n macaroni didn't really hold together as it usually does. I let it bake for about 45 min. Anyone have any suggestions/recipes??

TIA!

Originally Posted by SarcasmIsBeauty

I would suggest...

- Adding butter
- using both a sharp and a mild (or velvetta). Sharp is the key
- Melting half the cheese in the milk (with the butter and pouring that over the pasta. Then stir in the rest of the cheese
- I use a tiny bit of dry mustard

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook macaroni in salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Pour into a 3-qt. casserole In a saucepan, melt butter and stir in flour. Gradually stir in milk and sour cream. Add salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce bubbles and thickens. Reserve 1 c. grated cheese for the top of the casserole. Toss macaroni with remaining cheese. Pour sauce over macaroni and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with reserved cheese. Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and brown. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

Originally Posted by mpgirl

This recipe is very similar to mine. The best mac-n-cheese recipes use a roux which is just melted fat (butter), that is thickened (flour) then liquid added (milk) to make a sauce. Just like making gravy